


Into The Black

by gblvr



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-04-02
Updated: 2009-04-02
Packaged: 2017-10-02 06:56:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gblvr/pseuds/gblvr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Staring up, up, up into the black....</p>
            </blockquote>





	Into The Black

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [ Artword: Challenge #15: Astronomy](http://community.livejournal.com/artword/tag/015+-+astronomy); my fantastic partner was tanzensiemit, and you can find her art here: http://i348.photobucket.com/albums/q329/Nominatal/banners/artword/artwordproto02.png
> 
> MANY MANY HUGE THANKS go to Meansgirl and Kisahawklin for the hand-holding, ego-boosts and beta -- you guys are AWESOME. &amp;hearts
> 
> For in-text translations of the Czech, just hover over the words, and voila! Instant English!

When Radek was a small child, he'd lie in the grass at night, staring up, up, up into the black, and dreaming of what it would be like leave the Earth. He could name the constellations from a very young age, and he would tell his younger brother and sister stories of the Seven Sisters, and of Canis chasing Lepus, and Orion with his bow, and his favorite, Pegasus with his outspread wings.

Now that he is grown, he still loves to look up to the sky. Knowing how large the universe is has only increased the awe he feels as when he stares into the infinite stretch of space, and he thanks God every day that he is finally going to be up there, free of the bonds of gravity, floating amongst the stars.

*

As is their habit, they're curled up together on the beach, just beyond the launch pad, but neither of them are interested in looking at the shuttle. They're looking at the stars, and Evan is asking Radek to tell him a story.

"What about that one?" Lorne was pointing to a small cluster of stars in the Southern sky.

"Again? Do you not get tired of Zeus's folly?" Radek looked away from the sky as he teased Evan, and he felt his breath catch in his throat when their eyes met.

"Nope." Evan pulled him closer, and rubbed the tip of his nose along Radek's cheekbone, then whispered in his ear, "Of course, it's not just Zeus I want to hear about -- I'm more interested in how Europa bewitched him."

"By which you mean you want me to tell you again how I fell in love with you the moment I saw you at our indoc session."

"Well...I certainly wouldn't object to hearing it."

"You, Evan Lorne, are a romantic."

Evan laughed a bit, and said, "Guilty as charged." He was still laughing when he kissed Radek's temple and hugged him close.

Radek relaxed against Evan's shoulder, and began to speak, "There once was a girl named Europa, and by all accounts, she was very beautiful. One day Zeus saw her at the shore, and he was smitten. But he knew he could not approach her as himself, so he transformed into a pure white bull, with golden horns."

"That sounds like you at dinner that first night. Would've worked better if you'd been able to work up the nerve to speak to me as well as combing your hair."

Radek poked Evan in the side before saying, "I am not the only one who has a voice here -- you did not speak either."

"I was playing it cool." Radek snorted at this, and Evan said, "Okay, fine. I was nervous as hell. You're so smart, and I'm just...me."

"Just you, he says. Just the most handsome man I'd ever seen, and just as smart as I am, no matter what McKay says."

"Radek -- I. You intimidated me, and to be honest, I wasn't sure I had a chance, so I was waiting, watching you, wanting to see if you were interested."

"Ah -- just like Zeus. He, too, was nervous, and could not speak with Europa. Instead he wandered close to where she was gathering flowers and knelt at her feet. She was taken in by his gentle appearance, and so she climbed onto his back, and he wandered into the surf and lulled her to sleep. When she awoke, they were far from the shore and no matter how she begged, he would not turn back."

"Except, you took me to a hotel in Cocoa Beach, and we only made it as far as the floor between the door and the bed. I don't remember a cypress tree."

Radek pushed up on one arm and looked down at Evan. "Do you wish to hear the story or tell it?"

Evan mimed zipping a zipper across his mouth. His eyes danced with glee, and Radek couldn't resist the temptation of Evan's mouth, so he leaned in and kissed him before he settled against his shoulder.

"When Zeus and Europa arrived at Crete, he swam ashore and laid her down in a grove of cypress trees. He revealed himself to her, and they made love under the trees. To commemorate this, Zeus placed a bull in the sky -- you can see his shoulders, head and horns as he swims through the black of the sky."

"No matter how many times you tell it, I'll never get tired of that story." Evan hugged Radek closer, and kissed his hair.

Radek sighed. "I wish you were coming with me."

"We knew it was a long shot, Radek. They don't like to send couples up together." Evan was silent for a moment, and Radek looked away from the sky to watch him. "I'll be in the control room, though, and you can tell me all about it."

Radek swallowed against the lump in his throat. "I am sorry."

Evan rolled on his side, and just looked at him. "No, Radek. Never apologize. _Never._ You've earned this, and I'll be damned if you let yourself feel guilty because they chose you instead of me."

"It's just -- you worked so hard for this, and you deserve to be up there. I would trade with you if I could, miláčku."

"I would never ask you to give this up, not for me, or for anyone else. I'll get my turn, Radek, and when I do I expect you to be in that control room, making sure I get home safe."

Radek reached up, and stroked the tips of his fingers over Evan's mouth, then along his cheek. "I do not know what I did to deserve you, Evan Lorne, but I intend to keep you."

"Is that a promise?" Evan was smiling, and his voice had the edge of a tease in it, but his eyes were still and so serious.

Radek threaded his fingers into Evan's hair, and pulled him down until they were sharing breath, mouths nearly touching. "Ano, Evan, je to."

Evan's breath hitched in the second before their mouths met in a kiss so hot and sweet that Radek never wanted it to end. When they finally parted, it was Radek's breath that hitched as Evan kissed along his jaw, and around his ear, before he whispered, "So, who am I this time, Radek? Am I Europa or Zeus?"

Radek pretended to think, then said, "Tonight you are Zeus. Perhaps you should kidnap me and ravish me under a cypress tree?"

"I'm pretty sure that can be arranged...."

*

Launch day, and everything has gone right. As soon as they gained orbit, and completed their checklists, Radek unbuckled and pulled himself toward the closest window. The blue and green of the Earth was a vivd arc of color against the black of space, and Radek could barely make out the pinprick light of stars behind it.

"Překrásný."

"What was that, Doc?" Specialist Dex was pressed against his shoulder, looking out the same window.

"Oh. I was saying that it is beautiful."

"Been up here three times. Still the coolest thing I've ever seen."

Their attention was pulled away from the sun cresting the curve of the Earth when Emmagen, the mission commander, said, "Radek, Ronon, your attention, please -- we're calling home."

As they crowded around the screen for the scheduled check-in, Radek readied himself -- as the mission "virgin", he knew that McKay and the others at Mission Control had cooked up the traditional set of inane questions -- he only hoped none of them would be too embarrassing for him or Evan.

Commander Emmagen toggled the radio, and then said, "Houston, this is Atlantis. Do you read?"

They all laughed when McKay came back with, "Loud and clear, Atlantis, with an emphasis on the loud part."

Sheppard said, "You know, Rodney, if you'd just turn down the volume on that headset of yours, things wouldn't seem so loud."

"Yes, yes. And if you would only speak louder, I could turn them down, Sheppard."

Sheppard just rolled his eyes and made talky hand motions at the radio when Emmagen interrupted the mock fight.

Radek zoned out a bit while Commander Emmagen and Sheppard, the pilot, completed their verbal checklists. He lost track of what was happening for a few minutes, and was surprised when he heard finger snaps and McKay saying, "Earth to Zelenka? Hello?"

"Yes, I am here. Sorry -- I was woolgathering."

"We can all see that. Hard to concentrate without your other half?"

"Ah, no, I was just preparing myself for the ritual questions." Radek smirked when McKay's mouth slanted into a frown.

"Hmm. Well, let's get on with it, shall we? Do I even need to ask the standard question about weightlessness and urination?"

"Ah no, I think we can pass on that one, and also the ones about food and drink -- we have all heard the answers before."

"Very well then, I'll turn it over to Lt. Colonel Lorne for the next set of questions." Radek watched as McKay stepped back, and allowed Evan to step forward. He was smiling, a soft, wistful smile, and seeing it It took Radek's breath away.

"So, Dr. Zelenka, is it everything you were hoping it would be?"

"Yes, it is very exciting, and the view is...." He trailed off for a moment, searching for the right word. "It is...podnětný."

Everyone on the Shuttle laughed as they heard McKay complaining in the background. "English, Radek -- how many times do I have to tell you that the rest of the world doesn't speak your pidgen Eastern European dialect?"

Evan chuckled. "Dr. McKay, I think the word Dr. Zelenka is looking for is 'inspiring'."

"Ah, yes, inspiring. That is it." Radek winked at Evan, who winked back. "The stars, the view -- it is all very inspiring."

"So -- what does it feel like to be out there?" Evan sounded a bit wistful, and Radek felt a twinge of guilt. He wished again that Evan could be with him in this moment, and then it came to him -- a way to have him there.

He smiled at Evan, and said, "It feels like being in love."


End file.
